Latest news with #PlacePublique
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French sculptors pledge to build titanium Statue of Liberty – and Elon Musk approves
France's self-professed last sculpture foundry has weighed into a row over whether the US should return the Statue of Liberty to its country of origin by proposing to build a new one out of titanium. The proposal by Nice-based Atelier Missor, which specialises in sculpting famed French figures such as Napoleon and Joan of Arc, received approval from Elon Musk, who called the idea 'cool' on X. The foundry's plan to build a new Statue of Liberty 'to withstand millions of years' followed a call by French centre-Left MEP Raphael Glucksmann for America to return the original. During a political rally of his Place Publique movement, Mr Glucksmann launched a blistering attack on the Trump administration in which he said: 'We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty.'' Mr Glucksmann is a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and a staunch supporter of Ukraine. France gave the statue, which stands 305 feet tall and weighs 450,000lbs, to the US as a gift on July 4, 1884, to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The iconic copper-clad sculpture was created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. 'We gave it to you as a gift,' Mr Glucksmann went on, citing the United States' founding values of freedom and liberty. 'But apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.' He concluded his remarks by stating France would welcome top researchers who were fired in the cuts to the US National Institutes of Health and similar organisations. His comments prompted a fiery rebuke from Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, who said: 'My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. 'So they should be very grateful to our great country.' French commentators pointed out that if it weren't for French military and financial support during the War of Independence, America would likely still be a 'British colony' today. Mr Glucksmann later fired back: 'No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty. The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone. And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.' Wading into the row, Atelier Missor wrote: 'To our fellow Americans: we are the last sculpture foundry in France and we have a message for you.' 'Keep the Statue of Liberty; it's rightfully yours. But get ready for another one. 'A New Statue of Liberty, much bigger, made out of titanium to withstand millions of years. 'We, the French people, are going to make it again!' The foundry, which said its aim was to fulfil Napoleon's dream to 'make Paris the capital of the universe', was recently commissioned to build a monument statue of Joan of Arc for the French Riviera city of Nice. However, in January, the local state prefect cancelled the €170,000 contract and ordered the 4.5-ton golden bronze statue to be taken down, saying Nice's Right-wing town hall had failed to respect the proper public tender process. Atelier Missor said the annulment had left it on the verge of bankruptcy. A crowdfunding campaign to pay for the statue launched by Nice former deputy mayor in charge of culture has gathered €50,000. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
French sculptors pledge to build titanium Statue of Liberty – and Elon Musk approves
France's self-professed last sculpture foundry has weighed into a row over whether the US should return the Statue of Liberty to its country of origin by proposing to build a new one out of titanium. The proposal by Nice-based Atelier Missor, which specialises in sculpting famed French figures such as Napoleon and Joan of Arc, received approval from Elon Musk, who called the idea 'cool' on X. The foundry's plan to build a new Statue of Liberty 'to withstand millions of years' followed a call by French centre-Left MEP Raphael Glucksmann for America to return the original. During a political rally of his Place Publique movement, Mr Glucksmann launched a blistering attack on the Trump administration in which he said: 'We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty.'' Mr Glucksmann is a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and a staunch supporter of Ukraine. France gifted the statue, which stands 305 feet tall and weighs 450,000lbs, to the US on July 4, 1884, to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The iconic copper-clad sculpture was created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. 'We gave it to you as a gift,' Mr Glucksmann went on, citing the United States' founding values of freedom and liberty. 'But apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.' He concluded his remarks by stating France would welcome top researchers who were fired in the cuts to the US National Institutes of Health and similar organisations. His comments prompted a fiery rebuke from Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, who said: 'My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. 'So they should be very grateful to our great country.' French commentators pointed out that if it weren't for French military and financial support during the War of Independence, America would likely still be a 'British colony' today. Mr Glucksmann later fired back: 'No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty. The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone. And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.' 'Withstand millions of years' Wading into the row, Atelier Missor wrote: 'To our fellow Americans: we are the last sculpture foundry in France and we have a message for you.' 'Keep the Statue of Liberty; it's rightfully yours. But get ready for another one. 'A New Statue of Liberty, much bigger, made out of titanium to withstand millions of years. 'We, the French people, are going to make it again!' The foundry, which said its aim was to fulfil Napoleon's dream to 'make Paris the capital of the universe', was recently commissioned to build a monument statue of Joan of Arc for the French Riviera city of Nice. However, in January, the local state prefect cancelled the €170,000 contract and ordered the 4.5-ton golden bronze statue to be taken down, saying Nice's Right-wing town hall had failed to respect the proper public tender process. Atelier Missor said the annulment had left it on the verge of bankruptcy. A crowdfunding campaign to pay for the statue launched by Nice former deputy mayor in charge of culture has gathered €50,000.
Egypt Independent
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
French politician suggests US should give back Statue of Liberty for taking ‘the side of the tyrants'
CNN — A French politician has called on the US to give the Statue of Liberty back after suggesting that some Americans 'have chosen to switch to the side of the tyrants.' Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament who represents the small left-wing party Place Publique, made the comments at a rally on Sunday. 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty,' said Glucksmann. 'It was our gift to you. But apparently you despise her.' The Statue of Liberty as it is seen today in New York City. Pamela Smith/AP The statue was a gift of friendship to America from France. Inaugurated in 1886, it represents Libertas, the Roman liberty goddess, bearing a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand with the date of the US Declaration of Independence. Broken shackles lie underneath the statue's drapery, to symbolize the end of all types of servitude and oppression. On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at Glucksmann. 'My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now, so they should be very grateful to our great country,' she said. A photo showing the left hand of the Statue of Liberty under then responded in a series of posts on X and Instagram. He emphasized that his gratitude to the US 'heroes' that fought against the Nazis in WWII is 'eternal,' before making a contrast with US President Donald Trump's recent attempts to negotiate a settlement between Russia and Ukraine, as well as Trump's public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'The America of these heroes fought against tyrants, it did not flatter them. It was the enemy of fascism, not the friend of Putin. It helped the resistance and didn't attack Zelensky,' he wrote. 'It is precisely because I am petrified by Trumps (sic) betrayal that I said yesterday in a rally that we could symbolically take back the Statue of Liberty if your government despised everything it symbolizes in your eyes, ours, and those of the world,' said Glucksmann. 'No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty. The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone,' he said. 'And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.' Glucksmann is co-president of the Place Publique party, which currently holds three seats in the European Parliament, as well as one in the French parliament and another in the country's senate. Despite his party's small size, Glucksmann has received an increasing amount of attention in the French media, including an in-depth interview in political magazine Le Nouvel Obs published March 5, in which he underlined the importance that European powers step up their defense spending amid a reorienting of US policy priorities. It has also been rumored that Glucksmann is planning to run for president in elections scheduled for early 2027.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Apparently you despise her': French official demands US give back Statue of Liberty after 140 years
A French politician is requesting the U.S. return the Statue of Liberty in the wake of President Donald Trump's policies that appear to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament, made the remarks at a convention of the Place Publique center-left movement Sunday. "Give us back the Statue of Liberty," said Glucksmann, according to Agence France-Presse. "We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty.'' France gifted the statue, which stands at 305 feet tall and weighs 450,000 lbs, to the U.S. on July 4, 1884, to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The sculpture, created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, currently sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. There is a replica of the statue in the Seine river in Paris. The U.S. likely would not have won the Revolutionary War had it not been for financial backing from the European nation. The U.S. did not return the favor when the French Revolution began in 1789. Glucksmann, a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and suggested Ukraine started the war even though Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Zelensky was ultimately asked to leave the White House last month following the meeting. "We gave it to you as a gift,' Glucksmann continued, citing the United States' founding values of freedom and liberty. 'But apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.' During a White House briefing Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. would 'absolutely not' send the statue back to France. 'My advice to that unnamed, low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful,' added Leavitt, pointing to U.S. military assistance during World War II after Nazi Germany seized France. Glucksmann concluded his remarks by stating France would welcome top researchers who had been fired in the cuts to the National Institutes of Health and similar organizations. "The second thing we're going to say to the Americans is: 'If you want to fire your best researchers, if you want to fire all the people who, through their freedom and their sense of innovation, their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world's leading power, then we're going to welcome them.''
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Yes, French politician suggested US should return Statue of Liberty
Claim: French politician Raphaël Glucksmann said the United States should return the Statue of Liberty to France. Rating: Context: Though the claim that Glucksmann said the U.S. should give the Statue of Liberty back to France is true, it does not appear that it was meant to be taken literally. In mid-March 2025, a claim spread widely online that a French politician asked the United States to hand the iconic Statue of Liberty — that has been on display in New York Harbor for roughly 140 years — back to France. Social media users on BlueSky (archived), Facebook (archived) and Instagram (archived) shared the rumor and attributed the demand to a French politician named Raphaël Glucksmann, who co-founded the French left-leaning political party Place Publique in 2018. He currently serves as the party's copresident. Snopes readers also flooded our inbox with inquiries about the alleged request. In short, the claim that Glucksmann said the U.S. should give the Statue of Liberty back to France is accurate and was covered by major news media outlets like The Associated Press (AP), CNN, Axios and NPR. Glucksmann's demand occurred during a speech at a Place Publique convention held in Paris on March 15 and 16, which is available to watch on YouTube in both the original French and partially translated into English. With a visible smirk, Glucksmann said: "We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: give us back the Statue of Liberty. We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home." The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French celebrating the centennial anniversary of the U.S. gaining independence from Britain and was officially dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886. Lady Liberty was designated a national monument in 1924 according to the National Park Service. Asked about Glucksmann's comments during a news briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shot back, saying the U.S. would "absolutely not" be returning the monument to France. She added: "My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country." Leavitt's comments allude to the United States being allies with France during both world wars, including the role the U.S. played in liberating France from Nazi occupation during World War II. Glucksmann subsequently posted a thread on X (archived) explaining his intentions behind the statement and his response to Leavitt's comments. The posts read: Dear Americans, Since the White House press secretary is attacking me today, I wanted to tell you this. 1. Our two people are intimately linked by History, the blood we shed and the passion for freedom we share, a passion symbolized by this Statue that was offered to the United States by France to honor your glorious Revolution. 2. As the press secretary for this shameful Administration said: without your nation, France would have "spoken German." In my case, it goes further: I would simply not be here if hundreds of thousands of young Americans had not landed on our beaches in Normandy. 3. Our gratitude to these heroes and their sacrifices is therefore eternal. 4. But the America of these heroes fought against tyrants, it did not flatter them. It was the enemy of fascism, not the friend of Putin. It helped the resistance and didn't attack Zelensky. 5. It celebrated science and didn't fire researchers for using banned words. It welcomed the persecuted and didn't target them. It was far, so far from what your current President does, says, and embodies. 6. This America, faithful to the wonderful words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, your America, is worth so much more than the betrayal of Ukraine and Europe, xenophobia, or obscurantism. 7. We all in Europe love this nation to which we know we owe so much. It will rise again. You will rise again. We are counting on you. 8. And it is precisely because I am petrified by Trumps betrayal that I said yesterday in a rally that we could symbolically take back the Statue of Liberty if your government despised everything it symbolizes in your eyes, ours, and those of the world. It was a wake up call. 9. No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty. The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone. And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe. 10. Until we meet again in the fight for freedom and dignity, we will be the continuators of our shared history and the protectors of our treasure: more than a statue of copper and steel, the freedom it symbolizes. Though the claim that Glucksmann said the U.S. should give the Statue of Liberty back to France is true, it does not appear that it was meant to be taken literally. As the AP noted, there is no chance it could happen anyway. The news agency wrote: "UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural arm that has the statue on its list of World Heritage treasures, notes that the iconic monument is U.S. government property." A war of words regarding the Statue of Liberty is one of the latest rumors that Snopes has investigated pertaining to the Trump administration's relations with other countries. For example, we have debunked the claim that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told Trump the U.S. should stop electing "rapists and criminals" and we have fact-checked whether Trump said on Truth Social that he would annex Alaska and Greenland. City, Mailing Address: Receiving Office 1. Ellis Island Jersey, and NJ 07305 Phone: 212 363-3200 Contact Us. Creating the Statue of Liberty - Statue Of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service). Accessed 18 Mar. 2025. "Congrès Place Publique – Rendez-Vous Les 15 et 16 Mars 2025." Place Publique, 26 Feb. 2025, Détail d'une Annonce | Associations — Journal Officiel. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025. ""Elle sera très bien ici, chez nous": Raphaël Glucksmann demande aux Américains de rendre la statue de la Liberté." Figaro Live, 16 Mar. 2025, "From France Comes a Call for Trump's America to Return Lady Liberty. Here's Why It Won't Happen." AP News, 17 Mar. 2025, "Notre Organisation." Place Publique, Accessed 18 Mar. 2025. 'Raphaël Glucksmann'. Place Publique, Accessed 18 Mar. 2025. 'The Liberation of Paris'. The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, 25 Aug. 2023, Treisman, Rachel. "Does the U.S. Deserve the Statue of Liberty? Not Anymore, One French Politician Says." NPR, 18 Mar. 2025. NPR, YouTube. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025. ---. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
